“The world’s richest man Bill Gates is considering a possible flight into space, a Russian cosmonaut said from International Space Station Wednesday, citing Gates’ colleague, current space tourist Charles Simonyi,” AFP reports.
“‘Charles said that Bill Gates is also preparing to visit space,’ cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin told journalists during a video link-up from the space station, broadcast on state television Rossiya,” AFP reports.
AFP reports, “Simonyi, who made his fortune at Microsoft, is the fifth tourist to travel to the ISS, following the United States’ Dennis Tito in 2001 and Greg Olsen in 2005, South Africa’s Mark Shuttleworth in 2002, and a US citizen of Iranian origin, Anousheh Ansari in 2006. Space Adventures plans to expand its offerings next year to include a 100-million-dollar trip around the moon…”
Full article here.
One way, please — and take Ballmer with you, if they make rockets big enough. Now Billy can put his money where his mouth is and make sure that the onboard life support systems are run by Windows Vista. That’d give new meaning to “hasta la Vista, baby,” huh?
On second thought, leave Uncle Fester here. Someone’s gotta stay to go down with the Microsoftanic.
Put him on the Shuttle. NASA has almost perfected blowing up astronauts.
If I could do it, i would. No second guesses about it. Despite all the Hell that is Windows…. Go for it Bill…I would.
The MDN take was funny. When I saw the headline, I was thinking the same thing, take Ballmer on a one way trip to the gamma quadrant (or where ever the trekkies go). Seriously, though, have fun in space and watch out for the space debris.
hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Can you IMAGINE a rocket being flown by Bill Gates and ‘powered’ by Windows Vista? It’s probably end up 150m underground.
Go on Bill, do it! If it’s with the Russians, the launch will be handled by a pirated copy of Windows 95!
@ Twisted Mac Freak,
thats totally disrespectful of those who lost their lives in the name of science. Just goes to show that some people have no sense of decency.
Maybe he could stay in space if he goes.
Turtle Boy just wants to check the software licenses on the ISS.
This sounds like it should be the start of ‘Bill & Festers Excellent Adventure’.
Maybe they should get out of the computer business and into the space business?
Now, lets see – they’d need a snappy, original name for this new company…
…how about Ass-A. That’s quite original, and sounds nothing like any other space related organisation.
And maybe they could develope chair-shaped rockets? With Orbital Booster-cusions…
“In space… no one can hear you re-boot…”
Ballmer will not fit within the Soyuz seat envelope. Only about 2/3 of the NASA astronaut corps can fly on the Soyuz.
But will he have to wear diapers? I want to see that picture!
i think he just wants to get closer to god and ask for his help for his idiotic company.
S’funny, but people have been saying for years “Redmond, we have a problem…”
OMG, that accompanying image is fsckin’ hilarious – you guys even have a BSOD in the background!
ROTFLMFAO!
Isn’t there ENOUGH space junk in orbit already?
Maybe Gates and Ballmer can get a package deal. One-way tickets should be cheaper
@KingMel
So he goes up as cargo, it’s not like he actually needs life support at this stage.
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Couldn’t that money be better spent saving humanity.
GATES: “Houston, we have a problem here.”
HOUSTON: “Try pressing control alt delete.”
Shouldn’t Bill Gates wait for Steve Jobs to do this first?
Billy & Ballmy on a one way trip in space…..
The aliens will never forgive us!
O well…..
I think this is the moment I should start to put asside some money for that lovely heatseaking, surface-to-air missile…..kaboom…. “WOW”….
MacB
I think the titan rocket has been discontinued so it could be difficult to lift Ballmer’s ass into orbit.
MDN, I’m shocked! If he were to take Ballmer with him, and something bad happened, MS might end up with leadership that knows what it’s doing. I wouldn’t want Apple to have to go up against Microsoft while they still have their IT monopoly, still have loads of cash, and have competent leadership!
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LIFT-OFF – Allow or Deny?
Don’t bother with rockets for launching Ballmer into space. Just give him enough chili and he’ll launch himself into deep space.
Heatseeking….bah..stupid dutchie…